14 Nov - Blogs Im Following

8:28am MST

NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION VIDEO: Iraq After America Strongmen Sectarians Resistance

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 11 minutes ago

9 Amazing Uses For Apple Cider Vinegar

Waking Times at Waking Times - 27 minutes ago

*Meme - *Here's a list of some amazing uses for that Apple Cider Vinegar you have been keeping. The post 9 Amazing Uses For Apple Cider Vinegar appeared first on Waking Times.

Guatemalan Indigenous Communities Beat Monsanto & Seed Privatization

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 49 minutes ago

*Jeff Abbott* - For 10 days, the streets in front of the legislature were clogged with thousands of protesters demanding the repeal of the law... The post Guatemalan Indigenous Communities Beat Monsanto & Seed Privatization appeared first on Waking Times.

US Warns Russia On Its Plans To Have Military Flights Near The American Border

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 50 minutes ago

*US Warns Russia Over Military Flights Near American Shores -- Voice of America* The United States has expressed renewed concern about Russian military flights near U.S. borders and has warned Moscow to abide by international law. In a terse statement Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki acknowledged Russia's need for routine training activity. But she said the number of flights near North America had increased in recent months, and that the United States did not consider Russia's security environment as warranting such activity. The European Leadership Network, a Lo... more »

Easiest Picture Garland Ever

Lorene Nance at Housewife Eclectic - 1 hour ago

Hello again! It's Lorene from just Lu. Today's project is a super easy paper garland -- perfect for a birthday party, room decor, a Christmas tree, decorating your mantel -- it can go anywhere, everywhere, anytime. So easy I'm not even sure I should call this a tutorial! :) How to Make the Easiest Paper Garland EVER *Supplies* - thumbnails of images, printed on cardstock (mine are 1.5” squares) - scissors - circle punch - twine - double-stick tape - (optional) colored cardstock Cut out the squares and circles of your printed images, using scissors and the circle ... more »

Hacking Concentration: The Complete Guide to Getting Into the ‘Zone’

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 1 hour ago

*Deane Alban* - "It’s been said that the greatest power of the human mind is its ability to focus on one thing for an extended period of time." The post Hacking Concentration: The Complete Guide to Getting Into the ‘Zone’ appeared first on Waking Times.

The U.S. Army Drawdown Continues

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 hour ago

*Army Cuts Hit Officers Hard, Especially Ones Up From Ranks -- New York Times* FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — For all the insecurities of war, Capt. Elder Saintjuste always figured the one thing he could count on from the Army was job security. A Haitian immigrant who enlisted as a teenager, he deployed three times to Iraq, missing so many birthdays and Christmases that he sometimes felt he barely knew his four children. He hid symptoms of post-traumatic stress so he could stay in the Army, because he loved his job and believed that after 20 years he could retire with a captain’s pension. ... more »

Lawlessness And Disorder-- Big Coal

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 hour ago

There have been myriad complaints that the Obama administration has been systematically letting the banksters off the hook-- fining the share-holders who really didn't have any criminal intent, while letting the criminally minded executives skate away without charges... with their inflated bonuses. And why is Cliven Bundy still running around free? Yesterday NPR and *Mine Safety and Health News* released the results of an investigation into another class of coddled criminals who thumb their nose at lawful society and get away with it: the mine operators. While McConnell was sheddi... more »

Nov. 14: Taking up where Nov. 13 left off.

Graeme Decarie at The Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad - 1 hour ago

This is my second attempt to use up all the notes I have on current events. And, before I even start, I must admit I forgot an excellent book for those who want to get a sense of what it's like to be in a war. It's Farley Mowat's "And No Birds Sang' It's about the little heard of, but very difficult, struggle to push Hitler's armies out of Italy. Now, we go to stories the Irving Press missed ( partly because it used up so much space showing pictures of "entrepreneurs" getting hall of fame awards). KM oil (Kinder-Morgan Oil) is suing environmental protesters. Well, it has a good... more »

Philosophical Differences versus False Allegations: Defunded Fake Clinic Responds

noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 1 hour ago

Yesterday (November 13/14), Lambton Crisis Pregnancy Centre announced the rescinding by the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) of the second instalment (amount unknown) of a $83,800 grant. Here it is. Due to a fundamental philosophical difference the OTF has decided to rescind the grant. This means we received funding for one year’s operation but will not receive further funding for the second year. . . . One particular blog has been making false allegations regarding our Centre and is taking credit for the rescinding of the OTF grant. This same group has been making allegati... more »

States With Pro-Employee Laws: Consideration For Noncompete Can't Be Continued Employment

Donna Ballman at Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home - 1 hour ago

Florida, like some other states, allow unscrupulous employers to present noncompete agreements to existing employees and say, "Sign or be fired." What does the employee get for agreeing not to work for a competitor for a year or two? Continued employment. That's it. The effects of this can be pretty devastating. Say you left your job for a better opportunity. You start the new job and then, whammo! You have to agree not to work in your industry for 2 years, all your contacts belong to the new employer, and they can fire you a week after you sign. Fair? Heck no. Legal? Yes, in most s... more »

Russia To Halt Nuclear Cooperation With US Next Year

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 2 hours ago

A Russian serviceman passes by the opened SS-18 intercontinental ballistic multiple-warhead Satan missile launching silo in the town of Kartaly in the Russia's Chelyabinsky region, August 16, 2002. Credit: Reuters/Stringer *Russia To Halt Nuclear Cooperation With US Next Year: Report -- New York Times* WASHINGTON — Russia has informed the United States that it is planning to reduce its participation next year in a joint effort to secure nuclear materials on Russian territory, a move that could seriously undermine more than two decades of cooperation aimed at ensuring that nuclear b... more »

Pentagon To Announce Massive Shakeup Of U.S. Nuclear Forces

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 2 hours ago

*Pentagon Studies Reveal Major Nuclear Problems -- New York Times* WASHINGTON — The Pentagon will have to spend billions of dollars over the next five years to make emergency fixes to its nuclear weapons infrastructure, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will announce on Friday, after two separate Pentagon studies concluded that there are “systemic problems across the nuclear enterprise,” according to senior defense officials. The reports are a searing indictment of how the Air Force’s and Navy’s aging nuclear weapons facilities, silos and submarine fleet have been allowed to decay si... more »

Are China And The United States Preparing For War?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 2 hours ago

Fang Fenghui (left), chief of General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, welcomes Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, in Beijing on Monday. Kuang Linhua / China Daily *China And The United States Are Preparing For War -- Michael Pillsbury, Foreign Policy* *Despite the Obama-Xi handshake deal, the probability of confrontation will only heighten as long as the PLA remains a black box. * At a Nov. 12 news conference in Beijing, General Secretary of the Communist Party Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama agreed to notify the other side before major mil... more »

Kevin McCloud wrote a Grand Designs episode 'deliberately' targeted at fans' drinking game

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 2 hours ago

I knew it... Kevin McCloud must realise... The Independent (sic) reports that: The *Grand Designs* presenter has revealed he made an episode of his long-running architecture show “deliberately designed to get people as drunk as possible” after discovering its fans had invented a drinking game based on the series. The rules of the drinking game required viewers to drink when regular incidents happened on the show, such as the owners running out of money or quitting their job to manage the project. McCloud said: “We even actually wrote an entire programme around the drinking and it’... more »

Iraq / Syria Regional War ( November 14 , 2014 ) Best tweets of the day covering the ongoing Regional war !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 2 hours ago

Tweets..... *Syria Pulse* @TheSyriaPulse · 3h3 hours ago @HusseinLouay's arrest by Syrian authorities came days after his statement saying regime would collapse - http://almon.co/2a9w #Syria Al-Monitor [image: View this content on Al-Monitor's website] Syrian authorities arrest opposition leader Louay Hussein, leader of the opposition Building the Syrian State movement, has been arrested Nov. 12 by regime forces on the Syrian-Lebanese border. View on web *Rudaw English* @RudawEnglish · 3h3 hours ago #Emirates resumes #Erbil flights on Sunday http://fb.me/3nJz80iNQ *R... more »

In regard to the meetings this week in Beijing, the redoubtable Michael Hudson tells it like it is. Here are a few selected passages taken from the transcript of this don't-miss video. "Mr. Obama also said that the United States was going to cut back carbon emissions. But at the same time, he's still pushing for the XL Pipeline … to bring Alberta tar sands oil into the United States. That, of course, is the single most high pollution activity on the entire planet." "Mr. Obama has looked very uncomfortable at these meetings because he knows that he hasn't gotten anything that he wants.” In Brisbane "... you're going to see … Europe being completely left out. The sanctions that the United States and NATO have insisted that Europe impose on Russia means don't trade with Russia. So Russia has put on the counter-sanctions against French and Baltic and European exports to Russia. French farmers are already demonstrating.” “The Baltic states are screaming because Europe, France, Latvia, and even Germany had been looking to the one growing market since the last few years is Russia, and the United States says, don't deal with Russia ... Europe is left in a position of economic stagnation and shrinking.”

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 5 hours ago

------------------------------ Original Here . . *President Putin Pledges to Increase Trade with China and Asia to Rebuke Sanctions* The $400 billion, 40 year oil and gas deal between China and Russia is a response to the new cold war pressure and sanctions on Russia, says economist Michael Hudson - *November 13, 14* http://youtu.be/8vRVbjDlsxc *Bio ... more »

Romanian hacker Guccifer says Nuke Chicago in 2015 conspiracy i.e. Illuminati plan.

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 5 hours ago

From the spelling I'd be tempted to call the hacker Gooch-ifer. However, Watson calls him Goose-ifer to make him sound like the Lord of Light or something. Woo, scary bogeyman. *"This world is run by a group of conspirators called the Council of Illuminati, very rich people, noble families, bankers and industrialists from the 19th and 20th century,"* Guccifer, currently serving a seven-year sentence in his home-country jail.

Lockheed Martin Delivers the 200th Romeo Helicopter to the U.S. Navy

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 5 hours ago

[image: MH-60R Romeo]The U.S. Navy received its 200th submarine-hunting MH-60R “Romeo” helicopter from Lockheed Martin following a patch signing with Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Seven-Two (HSM-72). The cornerstone of the U.S. Navy’s anti-surface and anti-submarine operations, MH-60R helicopters have flown more than 250,000 hours in operation with the Fleet, providing increased surveillance and situational awareness. “We are proud to continue supporting the U.S. Navy by delivering a multi-role aircraft with a game-changing sensor suite that shifts the advantage from the sub... more »

US Air Force awards Rolls-Royce multi-million dollar AE 2100 engine contract

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 5 hours ago

[image: HC-130J Super Hercules]The US Air Force has awarded a contract worth over $100 million to Rolls-Royce to purchase spare engines and parts for its C-130J fleet and to support Foreign Military Sales customers. Rolls-Royce AE 2100 engines power all C-130J aircraft in the US military and global fleets, while legacy C-130 aircraft are powered by Rolls-Royce T56 engines. Tom Hartmann, Rolls-Royce, Senior Vice President, Customer Business, said, “Rolls-Royce AE 2100 engines provide the dependable, efficient power required by the US Air Force and our allies to complete their transpo... more »

Pakistan successfully test fires Hatf-VI ballistic missile

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 5 hours ago

Pakistan on Thursday conducted a successful training launch of intermediate range Shaheen-II (Hatf-VI) ballistic missile, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported. The successful launch was the culminating point of the Field Training Exercise of Army Strategic Forces Command. The ISPR further added that the purpose of the launch was to ensure operational readiness of a Strategic Missile Group besides re-validating different design and technical parameters of the weapon system. Read more

Greg Hunter, "Weekly News Wrap-Up, 11/14/2014

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago

*"Weekly News Wrap-Up, 11/14/2014* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com "It’s official. Obama Care is a series of enormous lies that were crafted by Democratic leaders. They all knew Obama Care was a lie, and they voted for the lies. Now, there are new revelations from one of its chief architects, MIT economics professor Jonathan Gruber, who was caught on video tape repeatedly explaining how the lies were formulated and why. Gruber basically said it would not have passed if Democrats told the truth about the bill, and he also calls the American voter “stupid.” This is the biggest polic... more »

Sukhoi-30s remain grounded; Court of Inquiry in final stages

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 5 hours ago

[image: Su-30MKI]Nearly a month after a Sukhoi-30 fighter plane crashed near Pune, the entire fleet of front line combat aircraft continues to remain grounded pending a Court of Inquiry (CoI) that is in its final stages. This is the longest period that the Russian-made aircraft has been grounded since 2009 when its flying was suspended for nearly three weeks following an accident. Air Force sources said the CoI is in its last stages and will come out with a report soon. Read more

China-Pakistan Fighter Jet Nears First Foreign Deal

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 5 hours ago

[image: JF-17 Thunder]An unidentified Middle Eastern country is in “advanced” talks to make the first foreign purchase of a fighter jet jointly developed by Pakistan and China. The joint sales team from the Pakistan Air Force and China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation also known as CATIC, are in advanced talks with 10 other countries to sell the JF-17 Thunder, said PAF Air Commodore Khalid Mahmood, who heads sales and marketing for the fighter jet. “We are in advanced negotiations with a Middle Eastern country, but the political situation over there has delaye... more »

SK-1, WJ-600 UAVs on display at Zhuhai Air Show

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 5 hours ago

[image: WJ-600 UAV]Various new advanced unmanned aerial vehicles were on display during the 10th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition held in Zhuhai in Guangdong province between Nov. 11 and Nov. 12 according to our Chinese-language sister newspaper Want Daily. Among all the drones displayed at the show, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation's Skyhawk, also known as the SK-1, and the WJ-600 garnered the most attention from aviation experts. The SK-1 is an unmanned aerial scout which plays a very similar role to the OH-58 Kiowa helicopter of the United Stat... more »

Russian Jet Forced Out Of Baltic Air Space By Dutch F-16 Fighters On NATO ‘Policing’ Mission

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 5 hours ago

[image: RNLAF F-16 Fighting Falcon]A Russian jet identified as a military transport plane flew through Baltic air space dangerously close to the countries of Lithuania and Estonia Wednesday night, without revealing its flight plan to either country in what appears to be just the latest in an increasingly worrying series of provocations by Russian jets, possibly testing NATO defenses. A pair of Poland-based F-16 NATO fighter jets immediately took to the skies to intercept the Russian jet and escort it on its way to its intended destination in Kaliningrad, a Russian base in the Baltic... more »

Carrier Gerald R. Ford remains 'biggest challenge' for Newport News Shipbuilding's parent company Huntington Ingalls Industries

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 5 hours ago

[image: USS Enterprise and USS Gerald R. Ford]Building a new class of aircraft carrier was only half the challenge for Newport News Shipbuilding. Now all the new pieces have to work together. Sunday marked one year since the christening of aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford, and the ship came up for discussion Thursday at the Goldman Sachs Industrials Conference in Boston, which heard a presentation from Mike Petters, president and chief executive officer of the shipyard's parent company, Huntington Ingalls Industries. Petters was asked what concerns and challenges would occupy HII goi... more »

Fort Worth First LCS to Deploy with Drone Aircraft

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 6 hours ago

[image: MQ-8B Fire Scout]The U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship will deploy with an unmanned aircraft system on board for the first time when the USS Fort Worth leaves here next week on deployment to the Pacific region, service officials said. The Fort Worth, or LCS 3, will soon deploy with what’s called a surface warfare mission-equipment package – a collection of integrated on-board technologies including 11-meter rigid inflatable boats, 30mm machine guns, MH-60R helicopters and the MQ-8B Fire Scout, a helicopter-like vertical take-off-and-landing drone. “This first time we’re brin... more »

Egyptian Sailors Missing After Navy Vessel Hit in Unprecedented 'Terrorist' Attack

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 6 hours ago

An Egyptian navy vessel came under "terrorist" attack in the Mediterranean on Wednesday, leaving eight personnel missing and five injured, armed forces officials said. A number of boats fired on a military craft conducting a training mission around 45 miles off the coast of northeastern Damietta province, according to the state-run MENA news agency. Egypt's Sinai Peninsula has been at the center of a full-blown insurgency since the military removed Islamist President Mohamed Morsi from power in mid-2013. However, this is the first such sea-borne attack. Read more

Friday beaver does a temporary encore - Massey mine disaster relook

Demeur at Demeur - 6 hours ago

It was four and a half years ago I reported about this and never thought for once that a CEO might go to jail. The original story from my first posting http://demeur.blogspot.com/2010/04/miners-revisited-and-beavers-not-happy.html Seems I was dead on about what was going on in his mine. In 1992 Don Blankenship was appointed the President, Chairman and CEO of Massey Coal Company one of the largest in the U.S. He was the head when an explosion at the Upper Branch Mine took the lives of 29 miners. This happened in April 2010. By December Blankenship resigned saying he was retiring.... more »

Nowra gets first glimpse of Navy's new Romeo

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 6 hours ago

[image: MH-60R Romeo Seahawk Helicopter]The Royal Australian Navy has showcased the first of its 24 new next generation helicopters, for the first time since arriving from the United States. More than 100 civilians and navy personnel gathered at HMAS Albatross in Nowra on Friday morning to get a glimpse of the MH-60R Seahawk. Three of the Romeos have already landed from the United States, as part of a $3.2 billion acquisition which will deliver another 21 of the aircraft in coming months. Read more

Navy says it learned from USS Miami fire; senator wants to hold congressional hearing

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 6 hours ago

[image: USS Miami]Shipyard firefighters and Navy crews participated in 54 fire drills over a three-year period but nothing prepared them for an arson fire that swept through a submarine and burned for hours on end, exhausting firefighters and crippling a $900 million nuclear submarine. Navy investigators concluded that firefighters needed to spend more time preparing for a worst-case scenario event after the May 2012 fire aboard the USS Miami at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The Navy says it has learned lessons from the Miami fire. Read more

Rosetta scientists are allowed to wear their favorite shirts

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 7 hours ago

*Sad news:* Alexandre Grothendieck, one of the 20th century best mathematicians, died. Philae was the first man-made object that landed on a comet (thrice), after it made two "unnecessary" jumps (a two-hour jump plus another eight-minute jump). But an important British member of the team (he's really the #1 scientist-in-chief in Rosetta) is already finding himself under some heavy criticism, as BMWA1 pointed out. *Try this video, and go to 1:42, to see an interview with this man. His tattoos are all about Rosetta.* This man was acknowledged to be important enough to be a spokes... more »

Pentagon Studies Reveal Major Nuclear Problems

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 7 hours ago

[image: Ohio class SSBN]The Pentagon will have to spend billions of dollars over the next five years to make emergency fixes to its nuclear weapons infrastructure, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will announce on Friday, after two separate Pentagon studies concluded that there are “systemic problems across the nuclear enterprise,” according to senior defense officials. The reports are a searing indictment of how the Air Force’s and Navy’s aging nuclear weapons facilities, silos and submarine fleet have been allowed to decay since the end of the Cold War. A broad review was begun afte... more »

Indian navy closely watching PLA submarine movements in Indian Ocean

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 7 hours ago

[image: Changzheng-2]The Indian Navy is closely watching the activities of the Chinese PLA Navy in the Indian Ocean, including movement of Chinese submarines to Sri Lankan ports, even as the Indian Army is getting ready to commence joint military exercises with China. On Thursday, Naval Chief Admiral R.K. Dhowan said: “As far as the Chinese deployment is concerned, this is part of their programme for the anti-piracy escort force which has been operating in the Indian Ocean since 2008 and (as) part of that they regularly deploy ships and occasionally we have seen the presence of subm... more »

Being A Drone Spotter For Pakistan Must Be The Most Dangerlous Job In The World

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 7 hours ago

Supporters of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa Islamic organization hold placards and party flags as they shout slogans during a protest against U.S. drone attacks in the Pakistani tribal region, in Peshawar November 29, 2013. Credit: Reuters/Fayaz Aziz/Files *Obama’s Deadly Informants: The Drone Spotters of Pakistan -- Umar Farooq and Syed Fakhar Kakakhel, Daily Beast* Identifying targets for the lethal American drone attacks in Pakistan was always dangerous. Then al Qaeda created its own strike force to target the informants. PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Half a dozen men sit on the floor in a grimy r... more »

Starkly Beautiful Images from Comet Millions of Miles Away have Global 'Wow' Factor

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago

[image: The picture released by the European Space Agency ESA on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014 was taken by the ROLIS instrument on Rosetta's Philae lander during descent from a distance of approximately 3 km from the 4-kilometer-wide (2.5-mile-wide) 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet. Hundreds of millions of miles from Earth, the European spacecraft made history Wednesday by successfully landing on the icy, dusty surface of a speeding comet. (AP Photo/ESA)] Look at all that lovely dust. Now we find out is that dust happens to be elemental carbon as i suspect it may be. However, i do n... more »

The Sacred Science of Ancient Japan

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago

[image: http://www.wakingtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/ancient-Japanese-art.jpg] Parahistory. The problem is content. It is simply not trivial to create the described body of 'knowledge' without a body of antecedents. Yet all this material is dismissed as nearly modern fabrication. The other escape hatch is to investigate whether it all may have been channeled. You see my difficulty. What is not going to be available is textual antecedents with a neat provenance. Yet i do not wish to discount this material at all. It needs to be studied and respected and perhaps l... more »

Laetrile

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago

Why is it that decades of attack has gone nowhere? Think about it. they were beating up on this horse back in the sixties. It is not addictive yet it does not go away. The truth is spelled out here. Laetrile is effective in suppressing the actual spread of cancer and this was properly confirmed forty five years ago. Our so called cancer industry wants no cure unless they can be used to extract huge payouts and a chronic condition is most profitable of all. Thus we have seen natural solutions been slandered for years and Laetrile is merely a public example. All that is slow... more »

A Cyberwar Quietly Rages Over Hong Kong

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago

[image: Tens of thousands of people gather on Connaught Road Central on Oct. 4, near the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Forces Building. The protesters demand that Chief Executive Chun-ying Leung resign from his position in Hong Kong. (Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times)] At least this stage of the conflict will be largely out in the open without easy recourse to plausible deniability. That suggests that something may be learned that we can count on elsewhere. Hong Kong's real defense is the promise of a public reaction that will not respond to government attempts to control. Thu... more »

Sunken Soviet Submarines Threaten Nuclear Catastrophe in Russia's Arctic

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 7 hours ago

While Russia's nuclear bombers have recently set the West abuzz by probing NATO's air defenses, a far more certain danger currently lurks beneath the frigid Arctic waters off Russia's northern coast — a toxic boneyard for Soviet nuclear ships and reactors whose containment systems are gradually wearing out. Left to decay at the bottom of the ocean, the world is facing a worst case scenario described as "an Arctic underwater Chernobyl, played out in slow motion," according to Thomas Nilsen, an editor at the Barents Observer newspaper and a member of a Norwegian watchdog group that m... more »

ISPs Removing Their Customers' Email Encryption

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 7 hours ago

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/11/starttls-downgrade-attacks *ISPs Removing Their Customers' Email Encryption* NOVEMBER 11, 2014 BY JACOB HOFFMAN-ANDREWS Recently, *Verizon* was caught tampering with its customer's web requests to inject a tracking super-cookie. Another network-tampering threat to user safety has come to light from other providers: email encryption downgrade attacks. In recent months, *researchers have reported ISPs in the US and Thailand intercepting their customers' data to strip a security flag—called STARTTLS—from email traffic.* The STARTTLS flag is an e... more »

Washington And Her 7th Century Gulf Allies Will Try To Replace Assad At All Costs

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 8 hours ago

*An excerpt from, "Obama’s Syria Review Looks to Shift Focus to Attacking Assad" by Jason Ditz, Antiwar.com, November 13, 2014:* Gulf Arab nations involved in the US war are keen to see Assad ousted, and that’s at least part of the force driving them toward a faster regime change, with officials saying they want such a move within the next 6-12 months. That means having the regime change imposed long before any alternative faction has been manufactured to take over. Officials like Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R – GA) have conceded as much, saying the US will simply hope that someone pre... more »

The CIA Is 'Paying Off Relatives Of Those Accidentally Killed In Drone Strikes'

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 8 hours ago

People gather at the site of a drone strike on the road between the Yafe and Radfan districts of the southern Yemeni province of Lahj in this August 11, 2013 file photo. Credit: REUTERS/Stringer/Files *Bags Of Cash For Families Of The Innocent: How The CIA Is 'Paying Off Relatives Of Those Killed In Botched Drone Strikes' -- Daily Mail* * Faisal bin Ali Jaber, 56, has two relatives killed in 2013 U.S. drone strike * Took his case to Washington where he spoke with Obama aides * Several months later he was handed blue plastic bag containing $100,000 * Given cash by Yemen officials who ... more »

Is NATO Dead?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 8 hours ago

The Economist *The End Of NATO -- Victor Davis Hanson, Hoover Institution* Declaring the North Atlantic Treaty Organization dead has been a pastime of analysts since the end of the Cold War. The alliance, today 28-members strong, has survived 65 years because its glaring contradictions were often overlooked, given the dangers of an expansionist and nuclear Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact subjects. From its beginning, NATO had billed itself as a democratic Western bastion against Soviet totalitarian aggression—if not always in practice then at least in theory. NATO never had much... more »

Vaughn Palmer, Voice Of B.C.....BC Liberal Election Promised Riches From LNG Forgotten and LNG Questions Not Asked

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 9 hours ago

How sad indeed, I watched Vaughn Palmer`s voice of BC ......linked directly below. http://vimeo.com/111777187 The topic was LNG, Vaughn`s guest was David Keane of the (BCLNGA) British Columbia Liquid Natural Gas Alliance.... I was hoping for some good questions, tough follow-up questions and good old fashioned journalistic inquiries, sadly I came away disappointed, no, make that I came away in disgust, Vaughn Palmer`s hour long episode on LNG confirmed what we here at The Straight Goods have known for some time, ...British Columbia`s mainstream media are useless, there is no j... more »

Picture Of The Day

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 9 hours ago

An MV-22 Osprey assigned to Marine Test and Evaluation Squadron 22 lands on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt during carrier qualifications at sea, Oct. 29, 2014. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Apprentice Alex Millar

Further proof that the U.S. uses incentives more than the EU

Kenneth Thomas at Middle Class Political Economist - 10 hours ago

As if any more proof were needed, I recently came across yet more evidence that U.S. state and local governments give far more in location incentives than EU Member States do. A paper given this spring at the annual meeting of the Association des Économistes Québécois (Association of Quebecois Economists) includes a summary of project-by-project subsidy reporting by the consulting firm ICA Incentives. ICA Incentives, which has on several occasions provided me data on $100+ million incentives in Europe and the United States, reports on the announcements of large investment projects. ... more »

The Collective Evolution

Waking Times at Waking Times - 10 hours ago

*Film - *A powerful documentary that explores a revolutionary shift affecting every aspect of our planet. The post The Collective Evolution appeared first on Waking Times.

What does my evening with Gay Talese and Sam Roberts have to do with The New Yorker's announcement of its new paywall system?

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 10 hours ago

*While thinking about *The New Yorker*'s announcement of its new online paywall system, I saw Gay Talese talk about the new 50th-anniversary edition of his chronicle of the building of the Verrazano Bridge in conversation with the NYT's Sam Roberts at the NY Transit Museum.* *by Ken* Okay, the time has come. We knew it was going to happen. The (free) party is ending at newyorker.com, just like we knew it would when *The New Yorker* announced that for the summer its newly redesigned website was going to be thrown open to one and all. (See my July post "*The New Yorker* offers a big... more »

Is China Financing Russian Aggression?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (R) and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping leave after shaking hands before the opening ceremony of the fourth Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia summit in Shanghai May 21, 2014. REUTERS/Mark Ralston/Pool *China Is Financing Putin’s Aggression -- Gordon Chang, Daily Beast* Russia’s economy is tanking, but Putin is sending long-range bombers on sorties in the Gulf of Mexico and combat troops into Ukraine—thanks to billions in new energy deals from Beijing. President Obama may say China can be America’s “partner,” as h... more »

What Is Russia Up To By Sending Bombers Close To The US?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 10 hours ago

Russian Tu-95 bombers (Reuters/Shamil Zhumatov) *What is Vladimir Putin Up To Sending Russian Bombers Close To The US? -- Howard Lafranchi, CSM* Experts play down concerns about a return to Cold War days. But Russian long-range bombers coming close to the US, plus other seemingly provocative acts, indicate a retrenched power attempting to assert its global presence again. WASHINGTON — Russia’s announcement Wednesday that it plans to send long-range bombers to patrol the skies of America’s backyard over the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico may have sounded to many Americans like t... more »

How Jinnah Fabricated The Lie Of Two Nation Theory - MJ Akbar

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 10 hours ago

*"Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan" By M.J. Akbar (2012). * *This is a video about the history of the founding of Pakistan in 1947 by Indian journalist and author M. J. Akbar. This excerpt is from a larger talk called, "Tinderbox: India and Its Neighbours" that M. J. Akbar gave at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia on July 12, 2012.* *Wikipedia:* Muhammad Ali Jinnah (25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a lawyer, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until Pakistan's independence on 14 Augu... more »

Friday Nerd Blogging: Princess Bride FTW

Steve Saideman at Duck of Minerva - 11 hours ago

Check out this set of tweets tying together feminism and Princess Bride. My guess is that you check out #feministprincessbride you will find many more. The movie keeps on giving.

Ukraine Military And Separatists Clash At Donetsk Airport (Video)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago

*Video Emerges of Ukraine Military and Separatists Clashing at Donetsk Airport -- Vice News* Ukrainian military forces and separatist fighters exchanged fire at Donetsk Airport on Wednesday, as the fragile ceasefire between the Kiev government and breakaway factions in eastern Ukraine frayed further. The video released by pro-Russia news organization Novorossiya TV shows separatist fighters trading fire with an armored vehicle near the airport. Four minutes into the clip an explosion ignites close to the cameraman, following several minutes of the fighters shooting at the distant ... more »

Why Russian Trucks Designated 'Cargo 200' Are An Ominous Sign That War Is About To Return To Eastern Ukraine

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago

A 'Cargo 200' truck, carrying the bodies of Russian 'volunteers' killed fighting in Ukraine, crosses the border into Russia. Maria Turchenkova/Echo Photo Agency *Ukraine Crisis: Russian 'Cargo 200' Crossed Border - OSCE -- BBC* *Vehicles apparently used to transport soldiers' bodies have been seen crossing the Russian-Ukrainian border, monitors from Europe's security body have said.* The OSCE monitors said in one case a vehicle marked "Cargo 200" - Russia's military code for soldiers killed in action - crossed from Russia into Ukraine on Tuesday and later returned. Ukraine and t... more »

What Is Vladimir Putin's Agenda (In 90 Seconds)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago

EFN Asia 45: Growth, Inequality and the Philippines

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 12 hours ago

During the "Asian Cafe", Day 1 of Economic Freedom Network (EFN) Asia Conference 2014 last week in Hong Kong, I was the speaker for the Philippines. About 10 Asian countries were discussed very quickly, 10-15 minutes including open forum. So there were 10 speakers, each with own rapporteurs from their own countries. The theme was observation about growth and inequality in our respective Asian countries. My thesis is simple: It is not inequality per se that is the problem, but the condition of the poor, if it has improved through time or not. And I argued that Yes the condition of ... more »

New Article From Jim Stone Absolutely Verifies My Report From Mid-April On Russian Aircraft Turning Off US Aegis Cruiser's Defenses!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 12 hours ago

Several months back I put up an article that stated that a Russian SU24 fighter plane buzzed an American Aegis Cruiser, the USS Donald Cook, while the ship was near Russian territorial waters near the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea. (Read my previous article here). That Russian aircraft then proceeded to do the unthinkable by "turning off" the Aegis cruiser's defenses using new state of the art Russian electronic jamming technology! The plane then was able to do several simulated bomb runs at the helpless cruiser without one shot being fired from the cruiser itself... It was... more »

Moscow Stockpiles Gold As Russia Prepares For Economic War

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 12 hours ago

An employee holds an ingot of gold at the precious metals safe vault of the Central Bank in Moscow January 24, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin *Putin Stockpiles Gold As Russia Prepares For Economic War -- The Telegraph* *Russia's central bank added to its reserves of bullion in the third quarter, according to the latest report from the World Gold Council * Russia has taken advantage of lower gold prices to pack the vaults of its central bank with bullion as it prepares for the possibility of a long, drawn-out economic war with the West. The latest research from the World Gol... more »

The Generic Brand – How Advertising Works

Waking Times at Waking Times - 12 hours ago

*Video - *A humorous glimpse at how advertising works. The post The Generic Brand – How Advertising Works appeared first on Waking Times.

Defending the People Who are Supposed to Be Our Enemies

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 12 hours ago

I had a call early this morning from PressTV in Iran asking for me to comment on the latest ISIS news from Iraq. The story is more mayhem there and Obama, right after the recent election, saying he is going to send another 1,500 GI's to Iraq - essentially doubling the US troop levels. I made my customary comments which included: ISIS is a CIA/Saudi creation; more war brings greater profits for the war corporations; and this allows for the continued surrounding and destabilizing of Iran. After I was done I spoke to the PressTV worker who has been calling me for the past year or ... more »

Islamic State Announces Its Own Currency That Will Be Backed By Gold, Silver, And Copper

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago

*ISIS Announces New Currency -- CNN* (CNN) -- ISIS is planning to mint its own currency in gold, silver and copper, the group said Thursday. Its aim is to stay away from the "tyrant's financial system," ISIS said in a statement. It said it would issue another statement to explain the new currency's exchange rate, and where it can be found. The currency will include seven coins: two gold, three silver and two copper. The move is "purely dedicated to God" and will remove Muslims from the "global economic system that is based on satanic usury," ISIS said. The group, which calls its... more »

A Look At Why A British Suicide Bomber Is Commited To Die For Islam

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago

Kabir Ahmed, who it is reported has blown himself up in Iraq. Derby Telegraph *Inside The Mind Of A British Suicide Bomber -- James Harkin, Newsweek* If Kabir Ahmed is dead, as suspected, he will have become Britain’s first ISIS suicide bomber. For those struggling to understand why a 30-year-old with a wife and three children would end his life in an ISIS attack on an army convoy in a small town north of Baghdad, he left an extensive record. In several interviews over the summer of this year, he told Newsweek how he came to join ISIS and why, in the end, he wanted to give his life... more »

Is The Pentagon And White House Clueless About The War Against The Islamic State?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago

Larry Downing/Reuters *The Pentagon Is Officially Clueless About The ISIS War -- Tim Mak, Daily Beast* Where’s the legal justification for the war? Will American troops fight? And who are they really battling? The answers to all those key questions appear to be: TBD. On this much, all of Washington can agree: the United States is at war with ISIS. But beyond that, the nation’s executive and legislative branches have got nothing. On the most salient questions of the day—coming ISIS strategy, the president’s legal justification for war, ISIS’s strength, the status of ISIS’s leader... more »

Forgotten Malaysia Airline Flight 370 Updates ( November 13 , 2014 ) Search End Game in view ? MH 370 to be declared lost at the end of 2014 ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 13 hours ago

Tweets..... For the families - stay strong ! *wrath* ‏@ValeFan_Eca 3h 3 hours ago What did i say i told y so > Families furious over report *MH370* to be declared 'lost' http://dailym.ai/1AZkNbZ via @MailOnline Daily Mail Online [image: View this content on Daily Mail Online's website] Families furious over report MH370 to be declared 'lost' Relatives of MH370 passengers have criticised beleaguered Malaysia Airlines after an official reportedly said authorities would set a date to announce the pl... View on web *The Star* ‏@staronline 13h 13 hours ago Over... more »

Harry Reid Surrenders His Sword

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 13 hours ago

*by Gaius Publius* We don't need much comment here. Harry Reid has just said he will surrender to most things the Senate Republicans want to do, if they have the votes to do them. The Hill (my paragraphing): *Reid: 'No desire' to obstruct GOP * By Alexander Bolton Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday pledged to work with Republicans when they are in the majority and eschew the strategy of obstruction he has accused them of using against Democrats. “I am ready, Mr. President, to work with him in good faith to make this institution function again for the American... more »

"Fort Lauderdale Police Arrest 90-Year-Old Man For Feeding Homeless People!"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago

*"Fort Lauderdale Police Arrest 90-Year-Old Man For Feeding Homeless People!"* A 90-Year-Old and Two Reverends Cited for Feeding the Homeless in Fort Lauderdale by Hezakya News "Six police officers recently arrested members of Love Thy Neighbor, a group that feeds homeless people every Sunday at a public park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. One of those arrested on Sunday was Love Thy Neighbor's 90-year-old founder, Arnold Abbott, who has been feeding the homeless for decades. At least four police cruisers and a half dozen uniformed cops were ready and waiting for Love Thy Neighbor wh... more »

"Stuck in the Mud: Staying in Pain"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago

*"Stuck in the Mud: Staying in Pain"* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM "Pain can serve as one of life's great teachers, but it is important to move through it and not become stuck in our pain. Pain comes and it goes. It is just one component to the grand cycle of life. And when experienced as such, pain can serve as an important teacher. It is when we get stuck in our pain that it becomes detrimental to our well-being and development. If you notice that you feel closed-off, resentful, heavy-hearted, or that you try very hard to avoid being hurt again, there may be a part of you that i... more »

Bioaccumulation: Cesium is One Among the 1000 Radionuclides Unleashed by Fukushima Now Bioaccumulating in Flora and Fauna

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 13 hours ago

Radiation levels in fresh water samples at Fukushima Daiichi have been going up, rather than down. Contaminated ground water at the site is pouring into the ocean at an officially reported rate of 300-400 tons daily: Ground water contamination is extraordinarily high, with the well between the ocean and unit 1 measuring a record 5 million becquerels per liter of radioactive strontium-90 alone in July 2013. TEPCO stated the total bequerels per liter is *likely 10 million* when all beta ray sources are included. TEPCO had originally interpreted the July 2013 beta tests as indicatin... more »

From Ancient Egypt to Modern Science: The Forgotten Link

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 14 hours ago

*Lynn Picknett & Clive Prince* - The Hermetic books are clearly an Egyptian and Greek mix. Here is the link between ancient Egypt and modern science... The post From Ancient Egypt to Modern Science: The Forgotten Link appeared first on Waking Times.

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- November 13, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago

Khaled Abdullah/Reuters *Yemen’s a Model Alright—For Disaster -- Michael Shank and Casey Harrity, Daily Beast * Guns, drones and special forces were not enough to stabilize Yemen, and they won’t be enough to stop ISIS Remember the so-called “Yemen model,” the seeming success story for a U.S. policy targeting terrorists that President Barack Obama pointed to a few months ago? Well, it’s not a model anyone would want to point to anymore. While the world’s attention has been focused on the atrocities and momentum of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Yemen is teetering on... more »

World News Briefs -- November 13, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago

*U.S. Military Chief Weighs Frontline Role for U.S. Troops in Iraq -- Bloomberg* President Barack Obama’s top military adviser said more U.S. troops may be needed in Iraq for a “long and difficult” fight against Islamic State, as military planners assess the shortcomings of Iraqi forces. Army General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers today that more complex operations in Iraq, such as efforts to retake Mosul or secure the Syrian border, may require deploying a limited number of additional American military advisers in action with Iraqi soldiers... more »

He's Back! Abu Bakr al Baghdadi- We didn't even have time to miss ya!

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 14 hours ago

I am chucklin'! Could see this comin' a mile away. Baghdadi is all fire and brimstone..... Good to scare the gullible or those who want to be scared. Me? I yawn at the predictability of it all. But do wonder if the Canadian media is prepping for yet another Gladio/Stay behind Op? Pay attention as you read *"Erupt Volcanoes of Jihad"*- Seriously? Is this some phallic obsession? Or have I had too much celebratory wine? hehehe... Baghdadi. Allegedly? *Days after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was reportedly injured ( Or killed?) *in an air strike, t*he Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham leader ... more »

(Bye Bye Blue Dawgs But No Thank You for New Dims Gift)   Obstruction Pays Off for Republicans (F*cks Rest of Country, So It's All GOOD!)  Market Liars Still Rule  (Dead In the USA?)  Coal Kills Thousands  (Dirty Dirty Amazon)

Cirze at Welcome to Pottersville 2 (Blogging Against Fascism!) - 14 hours ago

BREAKING (Your Attention, Please!): U.S. Companies Now Stash $2 Trillion Overseas. That's More Than They Have Onshore U.S. companies are for the first time holding more than $2 trillion overseas, according to an analysis that paints a bleak picture of whether that money will make its way home and the limited economic impact it would have even if it does. Corporate cash has hit $2.1

Afghanistan, Pakistan and India: A Deadly Triangle + William Dalrymple: Afghanistan & the history of military disaster

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 15 hours ago

*Wikipedia: * William Dalrymple is a British historian, and writer, art historian and curator, as well as a prominent broadcaster and critic. His books have won numerous awards including the Duff Cooper and the Wolfson Prize, and he has been 4 times longlisted and once shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction. He is also one of the co-founders and co-directors of the annual Jaipur Literature Festival. *Video Title: Afghanistan, Pakistan and India: A Deadly Triangle. Source: Brookings Institution. Date Published: June 20, 2013. Description:* Brookings President Str... more »

5 of the Best Brain Foods

Waking Times at Waking Times - 15 hours ago

*Infographic - *Give your brain a boost each day by eating at least one of the following foods daily. The post 5 of the Best Brain Foods appeared first on Waking Times.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- November 13, 2014

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 16 hours ago

*Pentagon Officials Say Islamic State Fight May Need U.S. Combat Forces -- Wall Street Journal* *Defense Secretary, Joint Chiefs Chairman Say U.S. Military Strategy Remains an ‘Iraq-First’ Approach* WASHINGTON—Top Pentagon officials said on Thursday that the U.S. military strategy in Iraq and Syria remains an “Iraq-first” approach aimed at stabilizing that country and doesn’t include plans for American combat troops, but that conditions on the ground could change U.S. calculations. In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Gen.... more »

Nigel Farage on Invading Imperial Germany

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 16 hours ago

Compare and contrast. One party leader is caught on tape saying he'd like to do away with the NHS and replace it with an American-style health insurance scheme, and has recently said the allies should have invaded imperial Germany, even if it cost an extra 100,000 casualties. Another leader gives a beggar money and looks a bit like an Aardman Animations national treasure. Guess which one the press reserves its opprobrium for? I just want to say something quick about Nigel Farage's comments about the First World War. While the headline writers have grabbed on the 100,000 number band... more »

Don't Freak Out If Jon Tester Is Named DSCC Chairman

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 17 hours ago

Yesterday we listed the 6 Members of the U.S. Senate most likely to cross the aisle and help Mitch McConnell move his agenda. #6 was Montana's senior senator, Jon Tester. At the same moment, *Politico* broke the story that Harry Reid would probably appoint Tester to be the next DSCC chair. And he did. I have mixed feelings on that one but I do want to say that I know Jon Tester and he is *not* some corrupt corporate conservative. His politics are populist and-- given the confines of his red-leaning state-- he's probably about as good as we're going to get from Montana. When Progr... more »

Syria's Moderate Rebels Are Being Crushed By The Syrian Military And Jihadists

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 17 hours ago

A rebel fighter aims his weapon as he takes a position on the frontline against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad's forces in the Handarat area, north of Aleppo, November 11, 2014. Hosam Katan/Reuters *Syria Rebels In South Emerge as West's Last Hope As Moderates Crushed Elsewhere -- Newsweek/Reuters* With moderate rebels facing defeat by al Qaeda in Syria's north, groups holding a corner of the south are seeking a higher profile and more help, as the last Western-backed forces holding out against both President Bashar al-Assad and the jihadists. The southern rebels, described by ... more »

Rip-off News round-up. Our pick of the last week's media (Thu 13th November)

Jake at Ripped-off Britons - 17 hours ago

300,000 more people live in poverty than previously thought The study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said the government method for calculating absolute poverty – the number of people living below a breadline that rises each year in line with the cost of living – incorrectly assumed that all households faced the same inflation rate. But in the six

Islamic State And Al Qaeda Agree To Join Forces In Syria

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 17 hours ago

A resident of Tabqa city touring the streets on a motorcycle waves an Islamist flag in celebration after Islamic State militants took over Tabqa air base, in nearby Raqqa city August 24, 2014. *Islamic State And al-Qaeda 'Agree Deal' In Syria -- The Telegraph* *Islamic State and al-Qaeda affiliate reportedly agree to stop fighting and work together in Syria.* Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) and al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria have reached a deal to stop fighting each other, it was claimed on Thursday night. Isil and Jabhat al-Nusra have battled bitterly for more than a y... more »

Car, Tinkerbell and Lotso on Ice!

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 18 hours ago

I was given tickets to Disney on Ice to facilitate this review. I took my girls, my 12-year-old sister and my mom to see Disney on Ice Presents Worlds of Fantasy last night and we had so much fun! My daughter loved watching all of her favorite characters from Cars drive right out onto the ice. I think hands down our favorite part was the Tinkerbell segment. We are HUGE Tinkerbell fans in this house and it was so much fun to watch the story from the first Tinkerbell movie play out on ice. I am always so impressed how well Disney on Ice keeps the girls attention. Even the baby was c... more »

Ukraine Reneges On Natural Gas Agreement With Russia

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 18 hours ago

*Russia Gas Flows Still Frozen; Ukraine Banks On Mild Weather To Hold Out -- Reuters* (Reuters) - Ukraine signaled it may hold off from paying Russia's billion-dollar gas invoice - part of an EU-brokered agreement to restart supplies frozen since June - in the hope mild weather can help it last out longer as it grapples with near-bankruptcy. EU officials worked out a deal two weeks ago under which Ukraine would pay Moscow $1.45 billion towards what it owed for gas supplies to ease a standoff over prices - and lift the threat to Europe, which relies on Ukraine as a key transit poi... more »

With Ceasefire 'All But Dead', Russia And Ukraine Trade Accusations

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 18 hours ago

*Moscow And Kiev Trade Accusations; U.S. Warns Russia Against Escalation -- Reuters* (Reuters) - Moscow and Kiev accused each other on Thursday of violating a ceasefire and the United States warned Russia the West might punish it further for its "military escalation" of the Ukraine crisis. Ukraine accused Russia of sending soldiers and weapons to help separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine launch a new offensive in a conflict that has killed more than 4,000 people. Russia warned Kiev that any resumption of hostilities against the separatists would be catastrophic for Ukraine. Incre... more »

The First Image Brought Back From Comet 67p

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 18 hours ago

Looks as if the ESA's Rosetta wasn't the first one there, after all.

Huffman's History, i. e., Gone

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 18 hours ago

The squirrely and paranoid TFA cult member, Kevin Huffman, has been let go. I wish I could say I am encouraged, but the buzzards and privateering fascists of the corporate ed movement have many more where this fool came from. Story at the Tennessean

Aisha North: A short update on the energies November 13, 2014

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 19 hours ago

A short update on the energies November 13, 2014 by Aisha North By now, the acceleration will be palpable on all levels, and so, we will once more take the opportunity to remind you all that even if the pace seems to be more than a little wild at times, know that as always, no thing and no one will be left to chance. For in this, it is as always a carefully orchestrated plan behind it all, one where the light at all times is doing what it can to help the majority amongst you fully embrace the all-pervading message of love that is being pumped in through countless channels at this ... more »

Russia Sends Convoy Of Warships To Australia For G20 Summit

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 19 hours ago

*US Kept A Close Watch On Russian Navy Fleet Heading For Australian Waters Which Are Believed To Be Acting On Orders To Spy On Leaders At G20 Summit -- Daily Mail* * Russian fleet is reportedly on its way into Australian waters * It is understood to be a sign of solidarity with the Russian president * Australian intelligence believe Russian vessels will spy on G20 leaders * It is understood the US kept a close eye on Russian ships near Japan * Prime Minister Tony Abbott has downplayed the move * He described it as unusual but not unprecedented * Comes ahead of the G20 summit being hel... more »

Nancy Pelosi on Jonathan Gruber: Then and now per WashingtonExaminer.com

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 19 hours ago

The thought that Nancy Pelosi might have lied... Shocking http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/pelosi-on-gruber-then-and-now/article/2556144 I'm sure that the BBC will be all over this story... Oh sorry as it's a Democrat politician they won't even mention the story.

Supplemental: Weeping over our New York Times!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 19 hours ago

*THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2014First Bauerlein, then Collins:* All too often, it’s painful to read the op-ed page of the New York Times. We’ll offer two examples. This morning, Gail Collins was killing time at the start of her alleged column. This is the way she began, sad-sack headline included: COLLINS (11/13/14): *The Lame-Duck Dynasty* *How am I going to get you interested in the lame-duck Congress?* Did you even know they came back? Perhaps it’s like reports that Randy Jackson is leaving “American Idol”—the amazing news is that “American Idol” is still on the air. *See? You’re... more »

Just a little bit about the Irving press...

Graeme Decarie at The Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad - 19 hours ago

...because there's nothing in it... not even yet another picture of Robert Irving accepting yet another award from some hokey hall of fame. Thursday's headline is about how the provincial Liberals seem to have been caught preparing to give our tax money to, - you know - good people, like Liberal contractors looking for government contracts. I was so shocked that this could happen in New Brunswick. I mean, this is a place where we don't really have contractors; they're "entrepreneurs", and they get into halls of fame for their goodness. We're so lucky that our super-entrepreneurs hav... more »

Islamic State Releases Audio Of It's Leader Days After Reports Of His Death From A U.S. Airstrike. Urges ‘Volcanoes of Jihad’

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 19 hours ago

Terror: Lacing his speech with religious phrases, the voice believed to belong to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi describes jihad as 'the peak of Islam' and says those who do not fight will suffer 'painful torment' *Days After He Was Rumoured To Have Been Killed, Audio Message Said To Be ISIS's Leader Ordering A 'Volcano Of Jihad' Is Released By Terror Group -- Daily Mail* * Audio message purportedly from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi released today * Terror leader praises Islamic extremists and mocks Western armies * Claims 'cowardly' American-led bombing campaign in Syria is 'failing' * A... more »

Iran's Militias Are Growing In Influence In Iraq

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 20 hours ago

Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim men from the Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah hold the party's flags as they walk along a street painted in the colours of the Israeli flag during a parade marking the annual Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Baghdad in this July 25, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani/Files *Special Report: The Fighters Of Iraq Who Answer To Iran -- Reuters* (Reuters) - Among the thousands of militia fighters who flocked to northern Iraq to battle militant group Islamic State over the summer was Qais al-Khazali.... more »

Does everyone need to go to college?...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 20 hours ago

*which, in most cases, is just a four year extension of high school.* This obsession with the notion that everyone deserves, or has a "right", to a college education is harming way more people than it's helping. Yesterday, I finally had my washing machine repaired. For several years, I could only access cold water (I'm not known for rushing into things - obviously!) in the machine. I was pretty convinced it needed a new solenoid. Since the temperature dropped, I decided that washing our sheets and towels in ice cold water was no longer an option. After careful research, I decide... more »

U.S. To Intensify Air War Against The Islamic State

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 20 hours ago

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel participates in the Washington Ideas Forum, in Washington October 29, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst *U.S. Defense Chief Says Air War Against Islamic State Will Intensify -- Reuters* Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Thursday the U.S.-led air war against Islamic State militants will intensify in the future as Iraqi ground forces improve and become more effective. Defending the U.S. strategy during a House of Representatives hearing, Hagel said, "As Iraqi forces build strength, the tempo and intensity of our coalition's air campaign w... more »

FFWN: Israel attacking al-Aqsa to start a religious war?

Kevin Barrett at truthjihad.com blog - 21 hours ago

This week's stories with links are at: http://noliesradio.org/archives/91544

Canada’s Quiet Coup

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 21 hours ago

Canada’s Quiet Coup *Written Mark Taliano* Public Editor, Daily Cloudt The biggest threat to Canada’s national security is internal. It is the offshoot of an extraordinarily successful -- because it remains largely undetected --- coup that imposed itself on the country with the federal election of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) in 2006, and solidified its impacts with the election of a Conservative majority in 2011. Author, poet, academic, and former Canadian diplomat Prof. Peter Dale Scott recently disclosed a wikileaks cable indicating that the International Republ... more »

Deer with 'Vampire Fangs' Spotted for 1st Time in Decades

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 21 hours ago

This deer was feared to be extinct and that would be unfortunate. It is just too much of a natural oddity for that to be allowed. At least we have found it again. It is also a reminder that so many critters are essentially unique to their own little ecological niche and expansion just happens to be a non option. Thus for every broadly dispersed cryptid like Big Foot, there are likely a dozen that simply do not and hunker down to avoid us. I certainly have observed that where there is one oddity, there are many more as well and all avoid humanity. *Deer with 'Vampire Fa... more »

Top U.S. General Recommends Sending U.S. Combat Troops Back To Iraq

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 21 hours ago

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel listens as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, U.S. Army General Martin Dempsey testifies during the House Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, November 13, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Larry Downing *US Military Considers Sending Combat Troops Back To Iraq -- The Guardian* *General Martin Dempsey tells House committee that he would consider abandoning Obama’s pledge and send troops to fight Isis in Iraq* The top-ranking officer in the American military said on Thursday that the US is actively considering the use of American troops direct... more »

Mishal Husain: Pushing another angle

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 21 hours ago

Talking of Mishal Husain and her habit of pushing one particular angle... As we discussed yesterday (and following on from the previous post), Mishal seemed to be pushing one particular angle on yesterday's programme as well. Reporting from Lebanon on the plight of refugees from Syria, that angle could be summed up as: Shouldn't Britain be taking in more of these poor refugees? That seems to be a familiar default position for BBC interviewers/reporters. Rather than wondering whether we should be doing more to support the refugees on the ground or taking firmer action against the... more »

Who Won The Elections Last Week? The Banksters, Of Course

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 21 hours ago

Dark money brought down dweeby centrist President Garrett Walker. Like so many post-*Citizens United* politicians, he was getting laundered political contributions from China. Uregulated capitalism, which isn't only prevalent in the U.S. but has replaced Communism as China's religion, is on the march-- and putting democracy in check is essential. Anyone who thinks this pillars of society can be trusted should take a look at this *L.A. Times* report from London, filed yesterday, Five Global Banks Fined Over Attempted Currency Manipulation. No one was frog-marched, finger-printed, ar... more »

Waking Up The Goddess: Why Women Will Change The World

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 21 hours ago

*Manel Blanco* - For too many centuries and up to the present moment, women have been like footnotes in history books that no one bothered to read... The post Waking Up The Goddess: Why Women Will Change The World appeared first on Waking Times.

Grandpa Cures His Cancer with Cannabis Oil

WakingTimes at Waking Times - 21 hours ago

*Christina Sarich* - Another story about the effectiveness of cannabis oil in treating cancer. Why is this stuff still illegal in most places? The post Grandpa Cures His Cancer with Cannabis Oil appeared first on Waking Times.

Cosying up to Hezbollah

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 22 hours ago

Hezbollah flag: Nope, clearly not terrorists! (#sarc) Zoe Conway's excellent reporting of the shenanigans in Tower Hamlets was an unqualified plus for this morning's *Today. *What though of the programme's main story, its much-prized 'scoop'? Namely Mishal Husain's interview with a Lebanese cabinet minister from the Shia Islamist terrorist group Hezbollah (given the top 8.10 spot)? Well, we learned it was the first such interview in four years, despite the fact that the BBC has been trying very hard to get such an interview for some time. It was also apparent that they felt pleased... more »

Mining 42: Presentation and Debate at UP PALS-NCPAG

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 22 hours ago

Last month, I participated in an open debate on mining held at UP Diliman. Three of us pro-mining including Dr. Arcilla (4th from left in this photo) of the UP National Institute for Geological Studies (NIGS), and three anti-mining including Mr. Garganera (3rd from right), National Coordinator of the Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM, Alliance to Stop Mining). The theme of the debate was "Mining: Boon or Bane?". Nice forum and debate. Below are some of the major arguments of the anti-mining groups. Good audience, should be 200+ students and teachers/professors, including some UP Mining ... more »

Indian Gaming: The Price of Influence

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 22 hours ago

By Brenda Norrell Censored News Indian casino lobbyists and management companies continue to bilk millions, possibly billions, out of Indian Nations. They use the sovereign status of Indian Nations, combined with PR spin, lobbyists and politicians, to enrich non-Indians.  The national Indian media, largely funded by casinos, is part of the scheme. Millions of dollars each year go to lobbyists

Democracy Collapsed, and The Gray Lady Noticed

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 22 hours ago

It was the worst voter turnout in three quarters of a century! Only slightly more than a third of eligible voters showed up for the meh-terms! And the Democrats lost big, almost as big as Democracy itself! Why, even in good old reliable New York -- where the Democratic choices (and rare victors) included a Wall Street puppet-governor with a hankering to break up "monopolistic" public education, and a crusading Democratic attorney general who forgot all about prosecuting banksters once Obama gave him a seat in the First Lady's box at a State of the Union address -- the turnout was ... more »

The Liars In The Media FINALLY Admit War On The Fraud "ISIS" Has Always Been About Overthrowing Assad! (I Hate Being Right About This One)

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 22 hours ago

When will people finally get it??? I have been harping here at this blog again and again about the fact that this "ISIS" has always been a fraud, and that the real aim of the US Government and all of the nations stupid enough to join their fraud "coalition" in the Middle East has been for attacking Syria and removing the Syrian democratically elected and very popular President, Bashar al-Assad.... Well, NOW the liars in the Jew spew media have finally had to admit the TRUTH about why the United States and their so called "allies" are in the Middle East.. Just the other day, the cri... more »

Postales Navideñas con Nombres de Mujeres

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 23 hours ago

Esta es la lista de nombres ganadores de nuestra promoción en Facebook "Tu nombre en una postal navideña" Si no está la tuya, puedes pedirla en los comentarios. Gracias por participar. No olvides darle Like a nuestra página en Facebook. Saludos en la distancia.

Zoe v Ken

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 23 hours ago

Credit where credit's due to *Today'*s Zoe Conway. Supporters of Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman held a rally last night. The speakers included Ken Livingstone and George Galloway. Zoe made it clear from the start of her package on this morning's *Today *that the audience was "overwhelmingly" from the Bangladeshi community. Mayor Rahman is frequently accused of favouring that community. She also described the speeches as "arguably rather provocative", specifically citing Livingstone's call to "fight on all fronts". (Her cautious BBC-style use of "arguably" didn't disguise the f... more »

IMITATIONS OF NEWS: Live and direct from Maddow Land!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 23 hours ago

*THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2014Part 4—The lamest of all our ducks:* For those who watched Rachel Maddow last night, we’ll start with heartfelt apologies. For the second straight night, Maddow began her program with a rant about Democrats’ lack of plans for the current “lame duck” session of Congress. Before long, the empress was telling us this: MADDOW (11/12/14): *There is one thing that Senate Democrats definitely can do right now*, alone, with this last bit of power that they’ve got before the Republicans take control of the Senate. They can confirm President Obama’s pending nomi... more »

PROTECT MOADAHK DO'AG RUN and RALLY

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 23 hours ago

Nov. 15, 2014, Saturday, 7 am till noon The Arizona Dept of Transportation will be holding a public forum at the Komatke Boys & Girls Center, where community members will be given the opportunity to provide their comments on the recently released FEIS. GRIC has been in opposition to the South Mountain Freeway/ Loop 202 for decades with several community votes and resolutions. NO BUILD!

Phenomenal Sound and Vision

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 23 hours ago

that used to mean something. But the Man pissed in our ear and shit in our eyes for so long we just wanted something not so commercial.

Listen: Let's Talk Native 'Native American Music Awards'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 23 hours ago

John Kane By Let's Talk Native John Kane, Mohawk Censored News It's all about the NAMMY's which takes place this Friday, November 14th at the Seneca Allegany Casino. Ellen Bello President of the Native American Music Awards joins us at the top and then a parade of NAMMY nominees join the show. Jimmy Wolf and Caren Knight-Pepper are up first. Joanne Shenandoah and Leah Shenandoah join me

Understanding Anbar Pt XIV Gen Abdullah al-Jabouri

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 1 day ago

General Abdullah Mohammed Badr al-Jabouri joined the Iraqi army in 2004. He served in the 1st Division as a battalion commander, division operations officer, chief of staff, and then brigade commander. He would later command the 2nd and 7thDivisions. Most of this time he served in Anbar. In 2008 U.S. Marines interviewedthe general about how the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) had to win the trust of local Anbaris to turn around the security situation there. From 2004-2005 the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) in Anbar was mostly on its own. The public didn’t want to work with them at first... more »

The Pushback Against Dictatorship Continues

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 1 day ago

Michael Harris' book *Party of One* details how Stephen Harper has corrupted Canadian democracy. Now you can add John Ralston Saul to Harper's enemies list. Saul's latest book, *The Comeback,* focuses on the harm Harper has done to Canada's First Nations and the environment. Saul is particularly critical of the prime minister's use of omnibus bills. Lawrence Martin writes: Saul devotes a chapter of his book to detailing how so-called ‘budget’ bills have been used by the Harper government as camouflage for making controversial changes to law — for example, downgrading environmenta... more »

I send up a flare

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago

I am not a scientest and do not even pretend to have a clue what goes on in the mind of such a finely tuned instrumet. We people are distant because we do not6 have massive brains foucused on the problem. If only we believed half the science we would be in better shape. i SEE Singapre as the most reasonably way to deal with what human leave as a bad trace. Why motherfucket why could te whole world not be Singapore This is model that humanity should breath/

Citizens Revolt in Mexico

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago

In this video Luke Rudkowski breaks down the latest situation unfolding in Mexico.

12 Christmas Stocking Tutorials

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 1 day ago

One of the things on my Christmas to do list is to make my baby her Christmas stocking. I have been looking for some inspiration and have found some fantastic tutorials! I can't decide which ones to use. I absolutely love this Swedish Dala Horse Stocking from Jenny Allsorts. These Burlap Stockings from Living Savvy are just perfect! Take a sweater and make it into a stocking with this Sweater to Stocking Tutorial from An Extraordinary Day. I am absolutely in love with these Christmas Stockings from His and Hers. The perfect color! I love these Elf Stockings from DIY Home Sweet Ho... more »

Silver Lining Department: Ohio Democrat Party Chairman Chris Redfern Slinks Off Into The Night

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago

Last Tuesday was pretty ugly for Democrats almost everywhere. But it was worse in Ohio. Republican Gov. John Kasich, who was once considered a one-term sitting duck, won a landslide victory, 1,922,436 (63.8%) to 989,201 (32.9%). Ohio has 88 counties; Kasich won 86, all but Athens and Monroe. Obama had won Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) with 69% and Sherrod Brown won it with the same margin. Obama and Brown both won Lucas County (Toledo) with 64%. Both won Franklin County (Columbus), with 60%. Similar results for Summit County (Akron), 57% each. Both even won Hamilton County (Cincinna... more »

The 100

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago

I don't know if it was inspired by the 300, but this CW series aimed at the Kardashian crowd has grown on me like Kim's butt has grown on the Internet. Hunger Games et all have to be making an impact. The movie that turned on my social conscience, that freed me from my lizard brain was Billy Jack. A very corny B movie with no stars changed a generation of baby boomers from fascists to socialist. One tin soldier rode away. It should be mentioned the effect was super duper warp speed energised by the fight for freedom in Vietnam. I fear that for the Utes of today war is just Play... more »

Untitled

jonjayray at EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL - 1 day ago

*Fat Black Feminist Professor Sued for Altercation With Pro-Life Demonstrators* The Life Legal Defense Foundation (LLDF) filed a civil suit Thursday against the University of California and Professor Mireille Miller-Young seeking “compensation for physical battery, property theft and civil rights violations” following an on-campus altercation in March with pro-life demonstrators. Miller-Young, an assistant professor in the Feminist Studies Department at the university’s Santa Barbara campus (USCB), was convicted in July of stealing a pro-life sign from the group of demonstrators i... more »

Iraq / Syria Regional War Watch ( November 13 , 2014 ) - US now going to focus on removing Assad ( while secretly coordinating with Assad's Military to bomb ISIS in Syria ? ) Daily Updates on the Iraq Battlefield and items of note ( H/T Anti War ) ...... Tweets of the Day !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago

Anti War...... US Will Focus on Ousting Assad ‘to Defeat ISIS’US Concedes Initial ISIS Strategy 'Untenable' by Jason Ditz, November 12, 2014 Print This | Share This The Obama Administration today realized what everyone else has known for quite some time, that their strategy in the new ISIS war in simply not working. Unfortunately, they seem to be shifting toward even deeper escalation of the war, particularly in Syria. Officials are now describing the “Iraq first, then Syria” strategy for destroying ISIS as “untenable,” and while continuing to present the war goal as the destruction... more »

Editor's Note

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 day ago

Stuck in meetings today. Blogging will return at 13:00 EST.

Untitled

JR at GREENIE WATCH - 1 day ago

*Western diets must be abandoned for vegetarianism or greenhouse gases will rise by 80%, experts warn* *The medical journals are full of findings that red meat is bad for you. Yet never before have Americans eaten more of it and never before have Americans lived so long. So what gives?Before I answer that, let me mention another fact: Australians are big meat eaters too and yet the life expectancy of Australians is up there along with Japan and the Scandinavian countries. In some reckonings, the Australian life expectancy is the longest of any national populatio... more »

Five months on, no answers on how rockets got into Gaza schools

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 1 day ago

An interesting article in the Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/five-months-on-no-answers-how-rockets-got-into-gaza-schools/ asking some questions of UNWRA and the United Nations that the institutionally anti Israel BBC never will.

Google to Redefine Music with 'Music Key'?

Martyn Daniels at Brave New World - 1 day ago

Today more and more kids watch music than listen to it. YouTube has turned music from being a one dimensional experience into a multi-dimensional one. What was once only available as audio produced in a studio now can have many renditions with video and stills from live concerts. The depth and range of music on YouTube is staggering as is the hits many renditions receive and have given for free. Google is starting a YouTube ‘Music Key’ subscription service enabling users to stream ad-free music videos for offline use and for a £9.99 it also provides membership to their sister mus... more »

Land Rover Publish William Boyd Advert

Martyn Daniels at Brave New World - 1 day ago

Today we read that Land Rover has become a digital publisher and the obvious question is, why? The answer is that it can ensure that their product is in the reader’s eyes and is aligned with the work, or to put it another way it cheap advertising. Laptop manufactures love to see the backs of their devices in a film or on TV with their logo sometimes glowing for all to see. Sometimes product placement can be more subtle and may just be a packet of a brand of Corn Fakes sitting perfectly positioned on a shelf and in shot. We wrote many years ago about 'Cathy’s Book' which was altered... more »

First F-35 squadron for the RNLAF

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: RNLAF F-35A Lightning II]As of yesterday afternoon, the Royal Netherlands Air Force has its first F-35 squadron. The squadron will operate in the US. The first F-35s are planned to transfer to bases in the Netherlands from 2019 onwards. The Dutch military will buy at least 37 aircraft of this type. During a ceremony at Eglin Air Force Base in the United States, the flag of 323 Squadron was handed over to the F-35 unit, symbolising the transfer of command. Prior to the introduction of the F-35, 323 squadron will be responsible for the Operational Test and Evaluation Phase (O... more »

Announcements: Paul Barclay[loc updated] lecture on Colonial period, AIT visiting Taichung

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 1 day ago

*Old buildings in Xiluo.* Below the READ MORE border: a lecture from Paul Barclay on photography, the primitive, and Japanese colonialism. If you can, attend, he's bound to be wonderful. Below that, notification of AIT visiting Taichung Dec 12... The Birth of "Primitive Society" in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction: Picture Postcards, Ethnogenesis, and Indigenous Peoples under Japanese Colonial Rule 講者：Paul D. Barclay, Associate Professor, Department of History, Lafayette College （中研院台灣史研究所，外交部「臺灣獎助金」訪問學人） 日期：2014年12月1日（星期一） 時間：14:30pm~16:30pm 地點：本所新館三樓2319會議室 UPDATE Ac Sinica... more »

Azerbaijan Risks New Armenia Conflict as Chopper Downed

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

Azerbaijan shot down an Armenian helicopter that it said violated its airspace in an attack that may trigger fresh confrontations between the two countries over a disputed region. The Mi-24 helicopter was “trying to attack” Azeri positions near a cease-fire line when it was hit, the Defense Ministry in Baku said on its website. Armenia’s Defense Ministry said the aircraft was unarmed and called its downing an “unprecedented provocation.” “This is the worst military incident in more than 20 years since the cease-fire,” Thomas de Waal, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for ... more »

Russian Army to receive fourth Iskander-M brigade set

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: Iskander M]The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) is reportedly set to receive an additional brigade set of Iskander-M tactical missile systems from the Kolomna Machine Building Design Bureau (KBM). A report seen by Interfax-AVN said that the batch represents the second Iskander-M set supplied this year, and would be delivered to the 92nd missile brigade of the Second Guard Combined-Arms Army of the Central Military District, on 18 November. "This would be the fourth set supplied in the past two years under a contract between the Defence Ministry and the Kolomna Machine Build... more »

Russia supplies Egypt with anti-aircraft S-300 missiles

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: S-300PMU2 Favorite]Russia supplied to Egypt Anti-aircraft system missiles type S-300, a Russian official said on Wednesday. According to Russian news channel, Russia Today, quoting Deputy Director General of the Russian Military and Technology Cooperation with Foreign Countries Vicslav Dzirkalen as saying that the missile will increase Egypt's Defence capabilities. The Russian official added Venezuela was the first country to receive this type of missile, which has the ability to destroy ballistic missiles equipped with radars able to monitor 100 targets and destroy 12 of th... more »

LCH 3 variant makes first flight

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

The Light Combat Helicopter's third trial aircraft, LCH TD-3, made its first flight on Wednesday, marking a new milestone in the development of an indigenous attack helicopter that can fight in the country's treacherous and mountainous fronts of the North and East. The twin-seater Technology Demonstrator-3 took off at 3.20 p.m. from the helipad of the Helicopter Division of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and flew for 20 minutes. A Dhruv helicopter, also created by HAL, escorted it. R.K.Tyagi, Chairman of HAL - which is designing and developing the 5.8-tonne copter for around six years, ... more »

Turkey: Decision on first long-range air and anti-missile defense system, likely in early 2015

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: F-35B Lightning II]A final decision on Turkey’s disputed contract for the construction of the country’s first long-range air and anti-missile defense system will most likely come in early 2015, a senior defense official said in an interview with the prominent U.S.-based defense journal Defense News. After Ankara selected a Chinese company in September 2013 to build the air defense architecture and came under heavy pressure from its Western allies for the decision, it also opened parallel negotiations this summer with a European contender in the multibillion dollar competiti... more »

Littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth prepares to deploy with lessons from Freedom

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: USS Fort Worth]Almost a year after the first littoral combat ship deployed to Singapore, contractors and crews have completed about 400 improvements to the second-in-class USS Fort Worth and are finishing last-minute preparations for a Monday departure. The USS Freedom, which spent 10 months in Southeast Asia dealing with significant maintenance problems, also delivered humanitarian relief supplies to areas of the Philippines hardest hit by a 2013 typhoon. The Navy has taken advantage of the lessons learned on the Freedom’s maiden voyage and incorporated those and other chan... more »

Ceremony marks decommission of guided missile frigate USS Ingraham

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

[image: USS Ingraham]With a bright sun overhead and cold air blowing off Puget Sound, the USS IngrahamCQ, a guided missile frigate recently returned from a seven-month deployment, was formally decommissioned Wednesday at Naval Station Everett. It was a moment that was bittersweet for some, including Cmdr. Daniel Straub, the ship's commanding officer for the past year and a half. “She was my very first command,” said Straub, who has served in the Navy for 31 years, working his way up through the enlisted ranks. Read more

Australia sends frigates, planes to flank Russian naval convoy ahead of G20

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 1 day ago

Two Australian frigates, the HMAS Parramatta and Stuart, have been dispatched to flank and monitor a Russian naval convoy in the waters off northern Australia. The Russian convoy is currently in the Coral Sea off the coast of Australia, and it remains in international waters. It's led by the flagship cruiser the Varyag, steaming alongside a destroyer, a tanker and a specialised tug boat. Read more